To provide oral medication to an infant is an arduous task. Infants and young children are frequently prescribed medicine that must be given orally during the first year of their life.
Commonly prescribed medications are antibiotics for ear infections and remedies for upper respiratory infections.
Although the ingestion of the proper amount of medicine is important to the improved health and well being of an infant, infants are rarely cooperative. A dual process exists, first the infant must accept the medicine orally and second, the infant must swallow the medicine. Frequently once infants have allowed the medicine to be placed in their mouth, they spit out the medicine.
This process is frustrating to the parent not only because of the infant's refusal to accept the medicine, but also because parents feel they are not properly taking care of their child.
Devices and methods have been developed to aid in the dispensing process of oral medicine, but none involves the use of a disposable system in which a nipple conforming to an infant's expectations has a hollow interior and a bottom wall fixed to the nipple defining a sealed interior. The bottom wall has a portal to allow medicine to be injected within the sealed container.
Syringe applicators and modified spoons inadequately perform the function of dispensing medicine. These devices are foreign to an infant and are frequently rejected by tightly closed lips.
The following patents reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware, insofar as these patents appear to be germane to the patent process. These patents are disclosed with a view towards discharging applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of these patents teaches the claimed invention when considered singly, and none of the patents renders obvious the instant invention when considered in any conceivable combination.
______________________________________ INVENTOR PATENT NO. ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ JENCSA 1,082,198 Dec. 23, 1913 OZANNE 1,531,245 March 24, 1925 DAUBENBERGER, et al. 3,964,509 June 22, 1976 HSU 4,765,497 Aug. 23, 1988 ______________________________________
The prior art lacks a medical dispensing device that meets the expectations of all babies. Whether a baby is bottle fed or breast fed, a nipple dispensing device would overcome an infant's initial rejection of medicine.
Additionally, the dispensing devices in the prior art lack a bottom wall coupled to a nipple thereby defining a sealed interior. A portal allows medicine to be injected therein.